Management of the Lung Nodule for the Primary Care Provider

Overview

What you will study

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, with an estimated 238,340 new diagnoses of lung cancer in 2023 resulting in more than 127,070 deaths, making lung cancer more deadly than breast, prostate and colon cancer combined. Although the number of new cases of lung cancer is declining, the death rate from lung cancer continues to be staggering. Among new diagnoses in the United States, approximately 40% occur in current smokers, 40% in former smokers, and 20% in patients who have never smoked. Difficulties faced in the treatment of lung cancer are compounded by the frequent late stage of diagnosis in combination with associated environmental and genetic factors.

We are now entering an era of personalized therapy in which lung cancer is characterized by specific potentially targetable genetic alterations and biomarkers to immunotherapy. Recognizing these targets, developing and testing targeted chemotherapeutics, evaluating mechanisms of tumor resistance and suitability for immunotherapy require a multi-disciplinary approach and collaborative efforts. At the center of care remains the general practitioner who is often faced with fielding most questions and is responsible for knowing who to screen and when to refer to a subspecialist. This Management of the Lung Nodule for the Primary Care Provider course offered by Johns Hopkins University will explore these topics.